Arrangement for retaining a closing or support member in a cylindrical housing

ABSTRACT

Arrangement for retaining a closing or support member in a cylindrical housing, especially in a hydraulic cylinder by a retaining wire which is disposed in a circular channel formed by circular grooves in the housing and the closing or support member. The closing or support member has a bore and the housing has an opening extending substantially radially in the plane of the grooves to permit insertion of the wire in the bore, whereupon the closing and support member is rotated thereby to pull the wire into the channel formed by the two grooves, and to retain the closing and support member in engagement with the cylindrical housing.

Unite States Patent smsm Freimutlr 1 1 Mar. M, W72

[54] ARRANGEMENT FOR RETAINING A 1,899,343 2/1933 Mackey et a1. ..29/439CLOSING OR SUPPORT MEMBER IN A P E I Th H E rzmary xammeromas agerCYLHNDRICAL HOUSING AttorneyBrown, Murray, Flick & Peckham [72]Inventor: Friedrich Freimuth, Lohfeldweg 15, 4975 Eidinghausen, Germany[57] ABSCT [22] Filed: Apr. 20, 1970 Arrangement for retaining a closingor support member in a cylindrical housing, especially in a hydrauliccylinder by a [21] Appl 29391 retaining wire which is disposed in acircular channel formed by circular grooves in the housing and theclosing or support Foreign Application Priority Data member. The closingor support member has a bore and the Apr 21 1969 Germany P 19 20 093 2housing has an opening extending substantially radially in the plane ofthe grooves to permit insertion of the wire in the bore, 52 U.S. Cl..29/20o B 29/439 whereupm the and SuPPOrt member is hereby [51] [BL CL"323, 19/00, 323,13 11/00 to pull the wire into the channel formed bythe two grooves, 58 Field oi Search ...29/439, 200 B, 200, 240 and toretain the closing and Support member in engagement with the cylindricalhousing. [56] References Cited 10 Claims, 9 Drawing mgum UNITED STATESPATENTS 1,873,245 8/1932 Ahegg 29/439 Pmimmmm m2 3,648,348

SHEET 1 [1F 2 PATENTEDMAR 14 m2 SHEET 2 [IF 2 ARRANGEMENT FOR RETAININGA CLOSING OR SUPPORT MEMBER IN A CYLINDRICAL HOUSING Arrangements forretaining members in cylindrical housings are basically known from theGerman Pat. Nos. 145, 1 I6; 261, 373; and 926,826 and the publicationAntriebstechnik Vol. No.7, 1966 pages 257-261.

These arrangements for securing cylindrical members in their housingshave, however, several disadvantages. To provide the tangential hole inthe housing for inserting the securing wire as shown in German Pat. No.145,116 a drilling tool is necessary which assures alignment of thedrilled hole and the groove in the housing Furthermore, to permitinsertion of the securing wire, there must be provided in the housing anelongated opening which must again be closed if the housing is ahydraulic cylinder, but even then reduces the strength of the cylinderwall. It is also necessary to preform one end of the wire and to cut thewire to length before insertion.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a simplefastening arrangement for a member within a cylindrical housing whichpermits relatively easy and economical as sembly ofthe member andhousing.

With this object in view, the present invention resides in anarrangement for retaining a closing or support member in a cylindricalhousing having an opening in its sidewall, said closing or supportmember and said housing having circumferential grooves which togetherform an annular channel in a plane extending substantially perpendicularto the axis of the housing sidewall and through the opening in thehousing, said closing or support member having a recess formed thereinin the area of the groove and a bore extending from said recess into theinterior of the closing or support member, and a wire received in saidchannel for retaining said closing or support member in engagement withsaid housing, said wire being introduced into said channel by insertingit through the opening in the housing wall into the bore in the closingor support member and rotating the closing or support member thereby tobend the wire and to pull it into the channel.

For hydraulic cylinders as the housings, arrangements are preferred inwhich:

a flat surface on the closing or support member extends parallel to orat a slight angle with, the cylinder axis;

the length of the retaining wire exceeds the length of the groove, itsfree end abutting the wall of the opening, thereby to prevent looseningof the cylindrical member; the retaining wire overlaps on the flatsurface;

the maximal distance between the flat surface and the cylinder wall isnot more than twice the diameter of the retaining wire;

the chamber formed by the flat surface and the cylinder constitutes aflow channel.

Additional parallel grooves, or grooves forming a thread may beprovided. Also, the securing wire may consist of a wear resistingplastic.

If the member serves as a support structure provided with bushings, anopening may be formed in the bushings in alignment with the radial hole,whereby the securing wire, when fully inserted, will also prevent thebushing from axial and rotational movement.

The invention will become more readily apparent from the followingdescription of preferred embodiments thereof shown, by way of exampleonly, in the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a cross section of the fastening arrangement before thesecuring wire is placed in the grooves provided therefor;

FIG. 2 shows a cross section with the securing wire partially inserted;

FIG. 3 shows a cross section of the arrangement with the securing wirefully inserted;

FIG. 4 shows an axial cross section of the closed end of a hydrauliccylinder;

FIG. 5 shows a cross section of the end of a hydraulic cylinderincluding a guiding member;

FIG. 6 shows a cross section of a fastening arrangement in which theclosing member has a small depression;

FIG. 7 shows a longitudinal section of FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 shows a cross section of an arrangement in which the closingmember has a tangential groove;

FIG. 9 shows a longitudinal section of FIG. 8.

The FIGS. 1-5 show a hydraulic cylinder 1, having connecting studs 2 ateach end provided with threads 2a for the connection of hydraulic fluidlines. As shown in the FIGS. ll 5 a closing member 3 having a seal 4and! a flat surface 3a is inserted in the cylinder so that the flatsurface 30 of the closing member 3 is positioned adjacent the connectingstud 2. The flat surface 3a extends to the end face 3e of the closingmember 3, thus forming a flow channel 5 from the connecting stud 2 tothe interior of the hydraulic cylinder. A hole 3: extends into themember 3 from its flat surface for the reception of a retaining wire 6.Circumferential grooves lb and 3b are formed in the hydraulic cylinder 1and the closing member 3 in a plane extending perpendicular to the axisof the cylinder and through the hole 30 so that, together, they form achannel corresponding in size to the diameter of the retaining wire 6.To retain the closing member 3 in the cylinder l the securing wire 6 isinserted via the connecting stud 2 into the hole 3c (FIG. 1) of theclosing part 3 which is then rotated in the direction of the arrow A inFIG. 2. By this rotation, the straight retaining wire 6 (FIG. 1) isalmost rectangularly bent over the flat surface 3a of the closing member3, and is drawn into the channel formed by the grooves 1b, 3b. Tofacilitate rotation of the closing member 3, holes 3d are provided inits outer end to accommodate an appropriate rotating tool. The closingmember may also have flat surfaces so as to permit the use of a wrench.

To prevent the closing member from turning backwards, the member isrotated somewhat more than a full revolution, thereby establishing anoverlap of the retaining wire on the flat surface of the closing member(see FIG. 3). The free end 601 of the retaining wire 6 abuts the wall ofthe stud 2 thereby preventing rotation of the closing member in adirection opposite to that indicated by the arrow A.

By bending the free end 611 of the retaining wire back into the radialopening in the housing by an appropriate tool and rotating the closingmember in a direction opposite to arrow A the retaining wire can beeasily removed.

FIG. 5 shows an arrangement in which the closing or support member 8supports a bushing 10, adapted to receive a piston rod 9. The boreextends radially into the bushing, the retaining wire 6 extending intothe bore 8a thereby securing the bushing in its position within thesupport member 8.

FIGS. 6 and 7 show an arrangement wherein a tubular housing lll has acircumferential groove 11a and has a closing member 12 disposed therein,the closing member having a groove formed together with groove 11a anannular channel with circular cross section. The opening 12c in theclosing member 12 is conical at its outer end as shown at 12b. Theconical enlargement of the opening 120 is such that the retaining wire,after being inserted into the hole 12c through the wall lll, can be bentwhen the closing member is rotated in the housing 11.

In FIGS. 8 and 9 a fastening arrangement is shown wherein the housinglll has a closing member R2, the housing and the closing member beingprovided with adjacent grooves ll la and 12a, respectively, whichtogether form a channel for the reception of retaining wire 13.Preferably, in this case, the wire consists of plastic and a groove ll2dis provided which is wider than the wire 13.

I claim:

ll. An arrangement for retaining a closing or support member in acylindrical housing having an opening in its sidewall, said closing orsupport member and said housing having circumferential grooves whichtogether form an annu lar channel in a plane extending substantiallyperpendicular to the axis of the housing and through the opening in thehousing, said closing or support member having a. recess formed thereinin the area of the groove and a bore extending from said recess into theinterior of the closing or support member, and a wire received in saidchannel for retaining said closing or support member in engagement withsaid housing, said wire being introduced into said channel by insertingit through the opening in the housing wall into the bore in the closingor support member and rotating the closing or support member thereby tobend the wire and to pull it into the channel.

2. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the circular portion ofthe wire is longer than the channel and the free end of the wireoverlaps the other end of the wire and abuts the wall of the opening inthe housing.

3. An arrangement as claimed in claim 2, wherein the depth of saidrecess is not more than twice the diameter of the wire.

4. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said recess extendsaxially from the opening in the housing to the inner end of the closingor support member thereby forming a communication path from the openingin the housing to the interior of the housing.

5. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one annularseal ring surrounds the closing or support member between said recessand the outer end of the closing or support member.

6. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least two parallelchannels are formed in the housing and closing or support members, eachchannel having a retaining wire disposed therein.

7. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein channel forming groovesare threads extending circumferentially at least 720 and the retainingwire disposed in the channel surrounds the closing and support member atleast two times.

8. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the closing or supportmember is provided with means facilitating rotation thereof.

9. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the closing or supportmember has an axial opening and a bushing supported in said opening,said bore and the wire in said bore extending into said bushing forsecuring said bushing in said closing or support member.

10. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said wire consists ofa high-strength plastic material.

1. An arrangement for retaining a closing or support member in acylindrical housing having an opening in its sidewall, said closing orsupport member and said housing having circumferential grooves whichtogether form an annular channel in a plane extending substantiallyperpendicular to the axis of the housing and through the opening in thehousing, said closing or support member having a recess formed thereinin the area of the groove and a bore extending from said recess into theinterior of the closing or support member, and a wire received in saidchannel for retaining said closing or support member in engagement withsaid housing, said wire being introduced into said channel by insertingit through the opening in the housing wall into the bore in the closingor support member and rotating the closing or support member thereby tobend the wire and to pull it into the channel.
 2. An arrangement asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the circular portion of the wire is longerthan the channel and the free end of the wire overlaps the other end ofthe wire and abuts the wall of the opening in the housing.
 3. Anarrangement as claimed in claim 2, wherein the depth of said recess isnot more than twice the diameter of the wire.
 4. An arrangement asclaimed in claim 1, wherein said recess extends axially from the openingin the housing to the inner end of the closing or support member therebyforming a communication path from the opening in the housing to theinterior of the housing.
 5. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1,wherein at least one annular seal ring surrounds the closing or supportmember between said recess and the outer end of the closing or supportmember.
 6. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least twoparallel channels are formed in the housing and closing or supportmembers, each channel having a retaining wire disposed therein.
 7. Anarrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein channel forming grooves arethreads extending circumferentially at least 720* and the retaining wiredisposed in the channel surrounds the closing and support member atleast two times.
 8. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein theclosing or support member is provided with means facilitating rotationthereof.
 9. An arrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein the closing orsupport member has an axial opening and a bushing supported in saidopening, said bore and the wire in said bore extending into said bushingfor securing said bushing in said closing or support member.
 10. Anarrangement as claimed in claim 1, wherein said wire consists of ahigh-strength plastic material.